Joey’s Thoughts: Day 2

The first two days are in the books. Only 156 picks to go tomorrow, but today I will break down the best decisions and most questionable moments of the second and third rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft. Tomorrow, I plan on grading team’s drafts as a whole, but I will touch on a few of my favorite picks from the last day. Overall, I think teams have done pretty well with not many teams ending up on the worst hauls list.

Best Hauls:Chicago Bears: James Daniels and Anthony Miller are 2 1st round talents in addition to taking Roquan Smith last night. Daniels is a fundamental, impressive center with plenty of skills, and he should instantly upgrade the Bears o-line. Most believe he’ll push Cody Whitehair out to G and form a formidable interior. Next, they chose Anthony Miller, a dynamic WR who offsets the loss of Cam Meredith. A great return man, Miller will team up with Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel to form a great receiving contingent for Mitchell Trubisky. Chicago easily has the best draft my a mile after 3 rounds.

Denver Broncos: Denver made 3 rock solid picks in Royce Freeman, Courtland Sutton, and Isaac Yiadom. Freeman should be able to step right in and take the starting position from Devontae Booker. Underrated all draft process, Freeman is extremely light on his feet for a 230 lb back. At pick 40, Courtland Sutton is a steal who may mark the beginning of the end of Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. John Elway needed to address WR eventually, and Sutton fits the bill to be a future no. 1 target. Finally, Isaac Yiadom was an underrated CB from Boston College who adds to a deep secondary. Chris Harris is on the wrong side of 30, and Yiadom could potentially play nickel corner to start with Bradley Roby being the no. 2.

New York Giants: The Giants made a couple fantastic picks that greatly improve their outlook on offense and defense. Will Hernandez was the second best guard in the class and will provide tons of running lanes for Saquon Barkley. Lorenzo Carter projects to be a high energy pass rusher who plays with his hair on fire each play. A highly touted recruit who many thought underperformed at Georgia, Carter should be an effective player with tons of upside. He was an absolute steal at 66. While I’m not as big on B.J. Hill, he will add to the rotation with Damon Harrison and Dalvin Tomlinson.

San Francisco 49ers: I credit the 49ers for being aggressive in getting their guys. My second favorite pick of the day, Dante Pettis is the best receiver in this class and has legitimate 4.3 speed on the outside. The best punt returner in NCAA history, the sky is limit with him teaming up with Jimmy G and Shanahan. Secondly, Fred Warner is an versatile, athletic LB who is a perfect pick in early round 3. His game vs. Boise St. was one of the better ones by a LB all year. Lastly, Tavarius Moore is admittedly a reach, but the tremendous talent of the first 2 picks makes day 2 a successful for a team on the rise in the 49ers.

Washington Redskins: Going into the day, I said the team that got Derrius Guice wins the draft. For this reason, it was beyond baffling to see him fall the way he did. Reportedly, a lazy attitude and an altercation with Eagles’ staff was the culprit. On the field, Guice is the best RB in the class and with incredible power and a great ability to keep his legs moving. The Redskins got a future All-Pro late in the 2nd round who was rumored to them at 13 and changes the outlook of their offense. After him, they took Geron Christian, a tackle I am lukewarm on out of Louisville. He will add into the mix and compete for playing time.

Worst Hauls:Oakland Raiders: Tom Cable strikes again. A day after having his way in taking Kolton Miller, the Raiders orchestrated a trade up to get Brandon Parker out of North Carolina A&T. His method worked so well in Seattle, so let him run your draft in Oakland I guess. On top of him, Arden Key has Pro Bowl talent, but off the field issues and a lack of production this year made a potential top 5 pick free fall all the way to pick 90. Lastly, P.J. Hall is a solid player from Sam Houston St. who without a doubt has been the best pick for a Raider team falling flat of expectations.

Detroit Lions: After a great pick in the first round, Detroit made a couple head scratchers that made little sense. Kerryon Johnson was a day 3 talent taken over more impressive backs like Guice, John Kelly, Mark Walton, and Royce Freeman. Already having Theo Riddick and Ameer Abdullah, the Lions didn’t have a huge need but still felt the need to trade up for Johnson. Their other pick, Tracy Walker, was a consensus reach out of ULL who will factor into the secondary equation somehow. Two uninspiring picks combined with a trade up to do so land the Lions on this list.

Kansas City Chiefs: A team with a less bad day 2 as the teams above, the Chiefs selected Derrick Nnadi and Dorian O’Daniel. Nnadi is an intriguing defensive line option with quite a bit of potential and a decent chance to make an early impact in Kansas City. The real issue I have is the Dorian O’Daniel selection. Personally grading him in the 7th round, O’Daniel is a decent coverage guy with not much else to offer in his game. His tackling leaves a lot to be desired and he offers almost nothing in run support. Even though he was the last pick of the draft today, he is still quite a reach who could’ve been had in a later round.